Of Positune(Alternate)
by tabbycat806
Summary: Kinda like my other one. Emma and Galen have children, twins, after being together for several years. But then things start getting rough between Galen and Emma and Kennedy is on the loose, out for revenge.
1. Chapter 1

**Of Positune(Alternate)**

Chapter 1- Emma

I rolled over in my sleep to face Galen who was still asleep. We had been married for ten years now. "Galen, wake up."

He mumbled something and opened his eyes.

I smiled and kissed his cheek. "Come on, we have to go make breakfast."

Galen sighed and got up, stretching. "Mmm…"

I got up and headed to the kitchen and he followed me a moment later. We started making pancakes and when they were almost done I went upstairs to wake up the kids. I first went to our son Cole's room. I opened his door and went in.

He slowly sat up and looked at me. "Morning mommy." He yawned. "Is it time for breakfast?" He had inherited the black Syrena hair but had bright blue eyes instead of purple. Him and his twin sister were seven.

I smiled and nodded. "Morning. Daddy's finishing up breakfast. Go downstairs, I'll be down right after I get your sister."

He nodded and went downstairs, rubbing his eyes sleepily.

I left his room and went to our daughter Cora's room. I went in and frowned, seeing that she wasn't in her room. I went back downstairs.

Galen looked at me and frowned. "She ran off again didn't she?"

I nodded. Cora has a bad habit of running off on her own and doesn't listen very well. She's very adventurous meanwhile her brother's more analytic.

Galen sighed. "I'll go find her. Save me two pancakes."

I nodded. "Alright." I watched him leave and serve breakfast for Cole and I.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2- Galen

I went outside and looked around for Cora. I didn't see her anywhere nearby so I headed towards the beach right by our house. We lived on a private stretch of land in California right by a private stretch of beach. Cora was always sneaking off into the water. I saw her walking on the beach, just wandering around, and ran to catch up with her. "Cora!"

Cora turned and looked at me, head tilted curiously. "Hi daddy."

I frowned at her. "Cora, you know you shouldn't be out here by yourself."

Cora pouted. "But I was bored."

"That's no excuse. Come on, breakfast is ready." I took her hand and led her back to the house. Emma was cleaning up and Cole was in his room when we got there.

Emma looked over at Cora. "And where were you?"

I sighed. "By the water, like always." I had Cora sit and start eating and had her go to her room when she finished.

"Isn't she still grounded from last time?"

"Yeah, she is." I helped Emma finish cleaning up.

Emma sighed. "What are we going to do with her? Punishing her doesn't work. Have you explained to her why she can't just run off like that?"

"Many times. Time after time after time. But she just disregards it. She has no sense of self-preservation."

"Well she's only seven."

I shook my head. "That's no excuse for her behavior. In my world fingerlings know not to stray far."

"Well this isn't the sea Galen. Human children are like this."

I sighed. "Whatever Emma." We had been getting into arguments a lot lately. "I'm going for a swim." I went outside and headed to the beach.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3- Emma

I watched Galen leave with a sigh and started on my chores for the day. He came back while I was making lunch and I looked up. "Hey."

He came over and started helping. "Hey."

"Have a nice swim?"

"Yeah…" He sighed and looked at me. "I'm sorry Emma, I don't know what's been going on with me lately."

I set the table. "Can you get the kids?"

Galen nodded and went upstairs, coming back down with Cora and Cole, each of them taking a seat. When the kids went back upstairs he looked at me. "Emma I'm really sorry."

I sighed as I began dishes. "Do you miss the sea Galen?"

"Of course I do but I want to be with you."

"But you miss the sea more. It's where you belong." I wasn't looking at him as I spoke.

Galen made me look at him. "Emma, what are you saying? Do you doubt my love for you? Do you want me to leave?"

I shook my head. "I don't want you to leave. But I think you do."

He blinked in surprise. "E-Emma...no…" He sat down with a sigh, stunned. "Emma…"

"Galen, there's no point in denying it. I can tell you're getting tired of living on land and yearn for the sea. You're just not meant for the land."

"Then come to sea with me. We c-"

I shook my head. "No. We've been over this. I'm less meant for the sea than you are for land."

"But Emma…"

"No Galen. I'm not living in the water."

Galen stood. "Why am I always the one that has to give things up? I left everything behind to be with you but you wouldn't do the same for me."

I narrowed my eyes in anger. "Oh so now you're accusing ME of not loving YOU? You know what Galen, why don't you just go back to the kingdom where you belong?"

Galen blinked. "...Fine...I will…"

"Good. Take Cora with you. You're always complaining that she should be more like the Syrena children so why don't you raise her like one."

Galen went upstairs without another word. He came back down a few minutes later carrying Cora with her curly blonde hair all messy and her traditional Syrena eyes filled with tears. Neither of them said anything to me and I watched as Galen left with her.


	4. Chapter 4

Chapter 4- Cole

It had been nine years since my dad had left my mother and I. To this day she wouldn't tell me why, only that he was unhappy with life here in California and took my twin sister, who's name she wouldn't say along with my father's name, and left. Personally I thought it was a lie, I couldn't see how anyone could dislike life here in California. I had come to dislike him quite a bit. He had left me and my mother with nothing and we've been just scraping by ever since he left. Mom says that it's not his fault, that he did leave stuff for us but she didn't want to rely on him. Another lie in my opinion. She was always trying to justify his actions whenever the subject came up which wasn't often.

I was starting my junior year in highschool in a week so I was enjoying the last of the summer by hanging out with my two best friends on the beach. We stayed away from the water though since I didn't like it much thanks to Mom warning me against it. I pushed my floppy black hair out of my face as we found a nice place to sit.

"I can't believe school starts next week." My one friend Samantha, Sam, complained. Sam had black hair like me that was choppy and about shoulder length with light brown eyes. She was older than me in terms of age, 17 meanwhile I'm 16, but in the same grade as me. She had a sort of goth/emo look and wasn't afraid to start a fight.

My friend Daemon sighed. "Yes Sam, we know, it's all you've been complaining about the past three days." Daemon was pretty average with his brown hair in a common style with brown eyes that were close to black. His personality is pretty much the opposite of Sam's. He tries to avoid fights and is nice to everyone that deserves it but isn't necessarily nasty to those who don't.

Sam just frowned and went silent with a small huff.

We spent a few hours there before getting up and going our separate ways to go to our homes for dinner.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5- Cora

"Please Daddy? I really want to go." I begged for the thousandth time. I was trying to convince my Dad to let me go to human school. I had inherited my Aunt Rayna's attraction and fascination with human things and longed to live on land and learn more about them but my Dad wouldn't let me. For some reason he was really against humans and venturing onto land. I had a feeling it might have something to do with my mother and twin brother but couldn't be sure. My Dad almost never talked about, I didn't even know their names. All I knew was that my Dad had left them due to some issues that he wouldn't explain in any detail. I honestly thought that they might be dead, killed by humans, since I had never run into them no matter what parts of the ocean I explored.

"No Cora."

I huffed. "But Daddy-"

"No buts Cora. How many times do I have to tell you no? You've been asking non stop the past few years and every time my answer is the same."

"Just this one year? Just so I can learn about them and see the neat human thingys? And I would still spend most of my time in the water, I wouldn't become one of them and stay with them. The ocean is my home. I just want to explore. Please?"

My Dad sighed. "I'll think about it…"

I smiled, knowing that that was about the equivalent of him saying yes, and swam off, heading to my room in the palace for the night with high spirits.

In the morning, the first thing Dad said to me was, "You can go to human school in California. It starts in a week. I'll get everything set up for you to go. I know some people that live there that you can stay with."

I squealed in delight and hugged him. "Oh thank you Daddy!"

He gave a small sigh. "Come on, I'll come with you to land to talk to my old friends and take you shopping. I would come with you but I need to look after the kingdom and I trust that you'll be alright."

I nodded eagerly and started swimming towards the beach in California, Dad following.


	6. Chapter 6

Chapter 6- Galen

When we got to land and got dressed I led Cora off the beach and headed to my old friend's house. I couldn't believe I had agreed to let Cora go to human school. What was I thinking? But it wasn't likely that Emma still lived here after what happened but I was still nervous. I glanced at Cora as we walked who was looking around with wide eyes.

After a few minutes she looked at me. "Do your friends know what you are?"

I nodded. "Yes, they know. They have a daughter about your age. I'm not sure if she knows but she'll be able to help teach you how to blend in and help you out at school."

Cora nodded eagerly and went back to looking around.

When we got there I went up the steps to the porch and knocked on the door.

After a few minutes a girl with choppy black hair answered the door. "Yes? Who are you?"

I smiled. "Hello, are your parents home? I'm an old friend and I need to speak to them."

The girl nodded and disappeared. A few minutes later a man came to the door, eyes widening when he saw me. "Galen? What are you doing here?"

"Hello George, may I come in? This is my daughter Cora. Cora, this is my old friend George."

Cora nodded shyly as George let us in and led us to the living room. "So what brings you back to land Galen?"

I took a seat. "I need a favor. My daughter wants to attend human school and I was wondering if she could stay with you in order to do so? I would cover any expenses and get her everything she needs of course. And your daughter would be able to help her learn how to fit in and help her with school."

George thought for a moment before nodding. "I don't see why not and anything for an old friend. My daughter, Sam, knows about the existence of Syrena so she'll be able to help Cora."

I nodded. "Thank you very much." I turned to Cora and handed her my credit card. "Here, you already know how to use it. Buy whatever you need. Do you want me to take you shopping or would you rather have Sam take you shopping?"

She stuttered nervously. "I-I'll be fine."

I kissed her forehead. "Alright then. You're always welcome back home if you need me. I'll be going now." I looked at George. "Let me know if there's any trouble or anything."

George nodded and saw me out. I went back to the beach and went home, missing her already.


	7. Chapter 7

Chapter 7- Cora

I watched Dad leave and gulped nervously as George came back into the living room.

He looked at me and chuckled. "Easy, no need to be afraid. Come on, I'll take you upstairs to show you your room and then introduce you to Sam." He headed upstairs and I followed him. He went to one of the rooms and opened the door, revealing a bright blue room with nothing but a bed, closet, and dresser. "This will be your room while you stay with us." I looked around for a moment before he lead me to another room. The door was open so I could see Sam sitting on her bed watching TV. George tapped on the door to get her attention and she looked over. "Sam, this is Cora. She's going to be staying with us for a while and will be attending the same school as you."

Sam looked over at me, tilting her head curiously. "Hi. I'm Sam."

I gave a polite nod as George continued speaking. "She needs new clothes and school supplies as do you so I'm counting on you to take her shopping tomorrow."

Sam nodded. "Sure."

George nodded and turned to me. "Alright then. Feel free to make yourself at home. You can go explore if you want but just be back here in about 2 hours. We always have dinner around 7."

I nodded. "Alright, thank you." I watched as he went back downstairs.

"Why are you staying with us? Where are you from?" Sam's voice was polite, merely curious.

I turned around and looked at her. "I'm from the ocean and I wanted to attend human school to see what it's like."

Sam blinked and just looked at me for a moment. "Wait, so, you're Syrena?"

I nodded nervously.

Sam's eyes suddenly lit up. "Oh my god! My dad has told me about Syrena but he doesn't really know any details. I've always wondered what they're like and how they live. Wow, I can't believe it! Why did you want to come live on land? Do you not like living in the ocean?"

I smiled. "I just came here to go to school. Syrena do things a lot differently than humans and humans fascinate me so I wanted to come learn more about them. There's nothing wrong with living in the ocean, it's great."

"Wow, you're going to tell me all about it. So, you've never been on land before?"

"Only for short periods of time."

"So you don't really know anything about humans then?"

I shook my head. "I know some things but like I said, Syrena do things differently."

Sam smiled. "Then I'll teach you. I'll teach you anything you need to know about being human and help you out with school and fitting in if you tell me about Syrena."

I nodded. "Deal."

She turned off her TV and got out of bed. "Want to go walk around so you can start memorizing the area?"

I nodded again. "That sounds great."

Sam led the way downstairs and outside after letting George know we were going for a walk. "I'll show you where the school is. It's not far from here, only about a 15 to 20 minute walk. I always walk to and from school with my friends unless the weather is bad, then I ask dad for a ride. But the weather is pretty nice here so that doesn't happen often."

I nodded as I looked around, taking in everything around me. "Do you have many friends?"

Sam shook her head. "Nah, people are annoying. I just stick with my two best friends, Cole and Daemon." The rest of the walk to the school was quiet. Sam pointed at it when we got near. "There it is."

I looked it over. "It's not very big."

Sam shrugged and started walking again. "Come on, I'll show you the park."

I caught up with her. "What's a park?"

Sam looked at me in slight surprise. "It's a place where kids can play and people can hang out."

When we got there I looked around, fascinated by the strange objects there. "What are all of these things?"

Sam led me around the park, explaining things like slides and swings and monkey bars to me. "Don't you have anything like this in your world?"

I thought for a moment. "Kind of. Except it's just for little kids. By the time my dad and I moved into the kingdom I was too old for it."

Sam tilted her head curiously. "Where did you live before the kingdom?"

I frowned. "I'm not sure. My memories are hazy and dad never talks about it."

Sam could tell it was upsetting me and changed the subject. "Oh, well, come on. We should get back to the house." She led the way back. We went to the living room and watched TV for a bit until dinner was ready. I didn't really know how to use human utensils very well so Sam showed me and I thanked her.

George made polite conversation as we ate. "So where did you two go?"

I looked up from my plate. "Sam showed me the school and the park."

Sam nodded. "She's never seen a park before. Didn't know what slides or swings were. Syrena don't have those things except for at a young age."

George only looked vaguely interested. "Wow." He took our plates when we were done.

Sam headed upstairs. "C'mon Cora." I followed her and we went to her room. "We have to go to bed at 9 which gives us a little over an hour so let's just watch some TV." I nodded and we watched a few shows.

At 9 I got up. "Night Sam."

"Night." She watched as I left her room and went to my own. I fell asleep quickly, exhausted from my exciting day.


	8. Chapter 8

Chapter 8- Cole

It was noon so I was getting ready to go to the mall. Sam had called me last night before bed and invited me to meet her at the mall as well as Daemon. She sounded really excited for some reason that she wouldn't tell us and wouldn't even tell us what we were going to the mall for. Just something about clothes shopping but Daemon and I had already done all of our school shopping but we decided to go anyways. I finished getting ready and left my house and walked to Sam's house, meeting up with Daemon along the way. When we got to Sam's house she was waiting outside for us with some girl while George started the car.

Sam ran over to us, the girl following her more slowly. "Hey guys!" Sam waited for the girl to catch up. "This is my new friend Cora, she's staying with me and my dad as a favor to an old family friend."

Daemon and I both said polite hellos before I returned my attention to Sam. "So why are we going to the mall?"

"Cora needs school stuff and new clothes. Come on." Sam went to the car and got in, Cora following her. Daemon and I got in as well and George headed for the mall. Throughout the car ride, Sam pointed things out to Cora.

Daemon looked at Cora. "Where are you from?"

Cora looked at him and blinked. "Er…"

Sam spoke up. "Jersey."

Daemon looked surprised. "Wow, that's far. Did you live by the beach?"

Cora nodded. "Yea, I love the beach." Daemon nodded and we spent the rest of the car ride in silence. George parked out front of the mall and we all got out and went in after watching him drive away. Sam led the way in, Cora staying close to her, looking around with wide eyes as if she had never seen a mall before.

I looked at her curiously. "Haven't you ever been to a mall before? Surely there are malls in Jersey."

Cora looked at me. "Oh, um, of course. But they are, er, much different…" She looked away nervously.

I stared at her for a moment. I hadn't taken notice of her eyes before but when she looked at them I noticed they were purple. Just like my mom's. "Hey, you have purple eyes. My mom has purple eyes. She says it's really rare."

Cora looked at me again in surprise. "Sh-she has purple eyes?!"

I blinked, surprised by her reaction. "Uh, yeah."

Cora quickly looked away. "Huh…"

I looked at Sam with a confused expression but she was just as surprised by Cora's reaction as I was. We walked silently for a little while as Sam led us into a store and started helping Cora pick out clothes. We were there for what felt like forever before we finally left with many bags of clothes for Cora who was beaming. We went to another store and picked up some basic school supplies before leaving the mall. George was waiting outside for us. Sam helped Cora put the stuff in the trunk and George drove away from the mall. It was late so George drove me and Daemon home, dropping Daemon off first. When we pulled up to my house the lights were off which meant my mom wasn't home from work yet and I sighed quietly. I got out and looked at Cora. "Well, nice to meet you." She nodded politely. I looked at Sam. "See ya Sam." I shut the door and went inside as George drove away. I let myself in and started dinner.

Mom came home just as I finished and came into the kitchen. "Hey Cole."

I briefly looked up. "Hey mom. How was work?"

Mom sighed. "Tiring. Thanks for making dinner."

I plated up the food. "No problem." I set the table and we ate in silence.

Mom headed for bed right after dinner. "Night Cole, I'm exhausted. I don't have to go into work tomorrow so we can spend your last day before school together."

"Alright, night." I watched her go to her room and went to bed soon after.


	9. Chapter 9

Chapter 9- Cora

I woke up early and got up and turned off my alarm clock that wasn't going to go off for another 10 minutes. I got dressed in the outfit that Sam had helped me pick out last night, a knee-length purple dress that brought out my eyes with cup sleeves and flip-flops. Sam had spent all day with me yesterday telling me everything that I would need to know for school but I was still nervous yet so excited. _This is the day I've been waiting for_ , I thought to myself. I left my room and went to the bathroom to do my hair. It took a while since my hair is so curly so by the time I came out, Sam was waiting to use the bathroom. "Sorry I took so long."

Sam shrugged and yawned. "It's fine."

She went in the bathroom and I went back to my room to grab my stuff before heading downstairs. I ate a granola bar while waiting for her to finish getting ready. When she came down, she grabbed a granola bar and we left the house. We started walking and met up with Cole and Daemon along the way. Sam had been going over a few things about school with me but stopped when they came over and started talking to them about teachers and classes and other students so I just hung back and followed. When we got to the school there was a lot of people waiting outside talking in groups and others going inside and just so many people and noises that I suddenly froze. After a moment Sam realized that I wasn't with them anymore and came back.

"Hey, are you okay? You look really pale." She gently tugged on my arm. "Come on."

I gulped nervously and went inside with Sam, Cole, and Daemon. Cole and Daemon left to go find their lockers and Sam led me to mine.

"Alright Cora, you remember how the classes go, right? Block scheduling. Four classes today, four different classes tomorrow, and repeat. Lunch after the first two classes on both days. And you have the map of the school with you, right?"

I nodded nervously. "I remember. And yes, I have the map."

"Okay, good. The bell is about to ring, I'll lead you to your first class." Sam led me to my class and wished me luck before heading to her class.

I walked into the room, head held high to hide my nervousness, and took a seat near the window in the front of the room. Not many people were in there yet and there was no teacher in the room. I started taking some stuff out while I waited and looked around the classroom. Math, something called Calculus to be more specific. It should be easy from what Sam showed me. Syrena have photographic memories which will make school pretty easy. _It's a shame I didn't grow into it until I was 13, if I had it when I was younger I could remember my mom and brother_. I sighed quietly at the thought. A bell rang, making me jump, and more people came into the room, including the teacher. By the time the second bell rang, everyone was seated and the teacher, a young peppy-looking blonde with bright blue eyes, was standing at the front of the room.

"Good morning everyone! I'm Mrs. Turner for those of you who don't know me. I hope everyone had a good summer?" She looked around the room like she was expecting someone to answer but no one spoke. She made a little tutting sound and shook her head. "Come on people, wake up. I'm going to assign you your textbooks which you'll be responsible for bringing to class every day." She went over to a bunch of piles of books and started handing them out. "Write your name on the front page of your book." She started on the other side of the room and made her way towards me, pausing when she got to me. "Oh, I almost forgot, we have a new student everyone!" She finished handing out the books and came back over to me. "Cora, right?"

I nodded shyly, intimidated by everyone staring.

She smiled. "Nice to meet you Cora." She went over to her desk and got a bunch of papers. "And these are the classroom rules." She passed out the papers. The rest of the period was spent going over rules and grading and homework.

When the bell rang I jumped, startled, and quickly packed up, relieved that the period was over. I left quickly and almost ran into Sam who was waiting for me at the door. "Hey, how was your first class?"

I shrugged, "Boring, we just went over a bunch of rules."

Sam nodded. "Yeah, that's how all of today and tomorrow will be, just going over stuff. You remember where your next class is?"

I nodded. "Yeah, I have to turn here, see you at lunch." I parted from Sam and went to my next class, english. This class went by pretty much exactly the same as the first and before I knew it the bell rang and I left the room. I met up with Sam and went with her to meet up with Daemon and Cole for lunch. Cole went to get a table since he packs lunch while Daemon, Sam, and I went to buy lunch. Cole had gotten us a small circular table in the corner and we all sat after getting our lunches. I only ate some of my lunch since I didn't really like anything other than fish much. All of the other Syrena hate anything other than fish but I can tolerate it. We chatted a little about our first two classes and then talked about what classes we have next. Cole and I both have gym together next period. When the bell rang Sam and Daemon went the other way and Cole and I went to gym. Cole led me over to the bleachers and we sat up top in the corner. I looked around nervously as more and more people filled in. "T-there are a lot of people…"

Cole nodded. "Yeah, gym is always crowded. There are three different teachers and therefore three different classes at once. You and I have the same teacher. Sometimes classes do activities together but other times every class is doing something different so you have to stick to your own class."

The bell rang and one of the teachers got up and addressed everyone. "Good afternoon. I'm Coach Fritz." She pointed to the two male teachers in turn. "That's Coach Serone and Coach Ame. We will be going outside next class so make sure you bring clothes." She took a seat and began chatting with the other teachers.

I looked at Cole. "Is that it?"

He shrugged. "Pretty much."

"So what do we do the rest of the period?"

"Just chill." He looked at me.

I looked away. "Oh, okay."

I saw Cole tilt his head out of the corner of my eye. "Were you home schooled in Jersey? You seem really new to the concept of school."

I looked at him again and blinked, unsure of what to say. "Um…"

"It's fine if you were, it's nothing to be ashamed of or anything, you can tell me."

I looked away again. "Um, yeah, I was."

"Ah, that makes sense. So why don't you live with your parents anymore?"

"I lived with my dad, I don't know my mom. I wanted to start going to public school and my dad heard that this was a really good school from George so he sent me here figuring Sam could help me out with getting used to school." I sounded like a convincing story to me, I just hoped it made sense to him.

Cole nodded. "Makes sense."

I breathed a quiet sigh of relief. All this questioning was stressful. But it would be more stressful if someone were to find out the truth. "Yeah, how about you?"

Cole shrugged. "I've lived here with my mom my whole life. No dad in the picture."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. You said before that your mom has purple eyes, are they contacts?"

He shook his head. "No, it's her natural color."

 _That can't be, she can't be Syrena, can she?_ "What color is her hair?"

"Blonde, really blonde. Like, almost white."

As far as I knew I was the only Syrena that had blonde hair. All Syrena have black hair. Except for me which is strange. "Oh, okay." I decided to just drop the subject. Luckily the bell rang a few minutes later and I rushed to my last class, art, that I have with Sam. Sam was waiting for me and we sat together at a table. We went over rules and what materials we would need by next week for the class and spent the rest of the period chatting. When the bell rang Sam went to her locker and I went to mine before meeting up with Daemon and Cole outside. When we got to the house, Cole and Daemon kept going and Sam and I went inside.

"Dad isn't going to be home for another hour so we-" She broke off as her phone rang. "Hello?...Oh okay...No problem...Alright, see you later." She hung up. "That was my dad, he has to stay later today so when he gets home we'll order food. Want to go hang out in my room?"

I nodded and followed her upstairs. I dropped my stuff off in my room before going with her to her room and spending time with her until George got home.


	10. Chapter 10

Chapter 10- Cole

Surprisingly Mom was home when I got home from school. I went in and saw her in the living room. "Hey Mom."

She looked over and got up with a smile. "Hey Cole, how was school?" She gave me a hug.

I hugged her back as I spoke. "It was okay, boring, typical first day stuff." I pulled away and put my stuff in my room before returning to the living room. Looking at her reminded me of Cora questioning her eye color. "Hey Mom, your eye color is natural, right?"

She nodded. "Completely natural, why do you ask? You should know that by now."

"I know. But that new girl I was telling you about yesterday was asking about it."

"Ah, right, the new girl that is living with George and Sam. What's her name? I don't think you mentioned it."

"Oh, right, I forgot. Her name is Cora."

She suddenly froze and blinked. "What's her name?"

"Um, Cora."

"What does she look like?"

I shrugged. Her odd behavior was making me nervous. "Blonde hair, purple eyes."

She slowly exhaled and composed herself but I could tell she was still tense. "Oh, interesting."

"Mom, are you okay?" I said this very hesitantly.

She smiled. "Of course. Hungry?" She went to the kitchen and started making sandwiches.

I slowly followed, very confused. "Um, sure, okay." I sat at the table. "Do...do you know her or something?"

She set a sandwich in front of me. "Of course not." She was clearly ending the discussion.

I sighed and took a bite of my sandwich. "Kay."

"Is it alright if I go to the beach for a little while?"

I nodded. "No problem." I was a little surprised, she didn't like the beach much.

"Thanks." She left with her sandwich.

I got up and threw the rest of my sandwich away and sighed. "Well that was strange…" I wish I had understood what just happened. I sighed again and went to my room for the rest of the day.


	11. Chapter 11

Chapter 11- Emma

I sat on the beach near the water but was careful not to touch it. I tore up pieces of my uneaten sandwich and threw them in the water for the fish. I sighed and rested my head on my knees. _It can't be. It can't be her. What is she doing here? And without Galen...so where's Galen then?_ I shook my head. _No, I shouldn't think about him. It just causes me pain. All the pain I've been trying so hard to fight…_ I felt a tear run down my cheek and quickly wiped it away. _It can't be her. It just can't be. Just some girl with purple contacts saying that it's natural to seem cool or unique._ I sighed again and looked at the water. _What would it have been like if he had stayed...or if I had gone with him…? No, I can't think about that. I can't imagine 'what if's. It will only bring more pain…_ I got up and headed back to the house as I started longing for the sea. It had been happening a lot lately and was hard to fight. _Coming here was a bad idea… I should stay away… Far away…_ I jogged back to the house. I went in and looked around, noticing that Cole must have gone to his room. I probably freaked him out with my strange behavior. I couldn't help it though. I had been shocked. I sighed and went to my room and laid down but was unable to sleep until the early hours of the morning.


	12. Chapter 12

Chapter 12- Cora

The next day at school was pretty much exactly like the first since it was different classes so it was like a second first day. When Sam and I got home and I had put my stuff in my room I went over to her. "Hey, is it alright if I go to the beach? I'm dying to go for a swim."

Sam nodded. "Sure, can I come?"

I smiled. "Yeah, of course. I'll meet you downstairs in five minutes." Sam nodded and I went to get changed into my bikini. Once we were both changed we walked to the beach together.

Sam looked at me. "Oh, hey, could Daemon and Cole join us?"

I frowned slightly. "I wanted to go for a swim in Syrena form."

Sam blinked. "Oh, right, sorry."

"Maybe in a little bit once I've stretched my fin for a little while. Staying in human form for long periods of time is hard."

Sam nodded in understanding. "No problem. Take your time. Cole doesn't like the water much anyways."

I just nodded and went in the water but the moment I touched the water I sensed someone and froze. "What the…" It wasn't familiar which alarmed me.

Sam looked over, concerned. "You okay Cora?"

I didn't answer at first, trying to pinpoint it. I looked in the direction it was coming from, somewhere much farther down the beach.

"Cora?"

"I sense someone…" I had previously explained to Sam how sensing works.

"Oh, who is it?"

"That's the problem, I don't know."

Sam looked confused. "But I thought you said you knew everyone in the kingdom."

"Yeah, I know, that's the point."

"Oh…" She looked around. "Where is it coming from? Should we go check it out?"

I pointed. "Somewhere over there. Stay here, I'll be right back." Sam started to protest but I quicked shifted and swam off. Once I got close I slowed down and looked around. Whoever it was was close. Very close. I saw some toes resting in the water a little ways away and poked my head out. Sitting on the beach was a woman with whitish-blonde hair with her head on her knees, eyes closed, and toes resting in the water. As I got a little closer she opened her eyes and lifted her head, looking around and withdrawing her toes from the water. I was momentarily stunned to see purple eyes. _This is the Syrena I sensed. But...she has blonde hair. Syrena don't have blonde hair. Wait...I have blonde hair...she's like me…_ I blinked in surprise. I quickly looked around to see where I was and was surprised to see Cole's house nearby. _Wait...could this be Cole's mom? But if she's Syrena then Dylan…_ I quickly ducked back under the water as she looked my way. She put her toes back in the water and I sensed her again. She must have sensed me too because she quickly got up and left. I poked my head back out and saw her jog to the house and go inside. I was completely stunned. It took me a few moments of staring at the house before I went back under and swam back to Sam.

Sam ran over when she saw me. "Cora! I was getting so worried, you were gone for so long! Did you find out who it was?"

I slowly walked onto the beach and sat down. "Sam, do you have a picture of Cole's mom?"

Sam nodded in a confused way. "Um, yeah, why?"

"Can I see it?"

"Okay…" She got her phone and showed me a picture. "That's her, Cole's mom, Emma."

I got up. "Come on, let's get back to the house." I started walking.

Sam quickly followed. "Cora, what's going on, who was it?"

I sighed and spoke quietly. "Sam, it was Emma."

Sam temporarily froze and stopped walking before jogging to catch up. "A-are you sure?"

I nodded. "Positive. It's her. She's Syrena."

"But...that means Cole…"

I nodded again.

"But...but he doesn't have purple eyes. And I'm positive he doesn't wear contacts."

"He has the black hair though. I've heard stories of Syrena with blue eyes instead of purple. Unless he's adopted, he's Syrena." We spent the rest of the way back in silence. George was home when we got there and was in the middle of making dinner.

He looked over when we came in. "Hey, dinner will be ready in about 10 minutes. How was the beach?"

I went upstairs to change while Sam talked to her dad before coming up to get changed as well. After getting changed I went back downstairs and sat at the table. Sam came down a minute later and George served dinner. We tried to act normal and make pleasant small talk but fled to Sam's room right after dinner.

Sam sat on her bed. "Should we talk to him about it?"

I shook my head. "No, let me talk to my dad first. He said he'd check in every so often. When I hear from him I'll ask him about it." Sam nodded and we tried to relax for the rest of the night but it was obvious that even though we weren't talking about it that we were both thinking about it. We went to bed early and I laid awake for hours before being able to fall asleep.


	13. Chapter 13

Chapter 13- Galen

It had been about five days since Cora left and I felt alone without her. _Maybe I should go visit her…_ My mood lifted a little at the thought so I made arrangements to go see her that day. By the time I got to California it was little past noon. _She's still in school for another two hours._ I decided to walk along the beach for a while to pass the time. I wasn't really paying attention to where I was going and ended up in front of my old house. One look at it made it clear that it's belonged to another wealthy family for many years from all of the changes. _I wonder where Emma and Cole are...how they're doing…_ I shook my head to clear the thoughts. I tried not to think of them, it hurt too much. I started walking again, heading away from the house. I went back to walking along the beach and walked with my feet in the water. I sensed someone after a while but it was faint so I ignored it at first but the further I walked the stronger it got. I paused for a moment to figure out who it was and froze. _It...it feels like...no...it can't be…_ It felt like Emma. I got my feet out of the water and kept walking. _It's not her, she's not here. I may be sensing her but she's probably far away like when Grom could sense whenever Nalia got in the water even though he thought she was dead._ I nodded to myself and kept walking. After a little while I put my feet back in the water and it hit me even harder than before. I looked around and walked slower, freezing when I saw someone a little ways down the beach with hair just like Emma's. She was sitting on the sand with her toes in the water and looking around. As she withdrew her toes the pulse went away. My breath caught. _No...no...it can't be...it has to be a coincidence...it has to be…_ She looked my way and froze when she saw me. _Emma…_ I started walking towards her again. I had to talk to her. I walked slowly though so she could get up and leave if she didn't want to talk to me. She didn't move an inch, just kept her eyes on me. I sat a little ways away from her, close enough to talk but far enough so each of us had our space."Hello Emma." I spoke softly.

"Galen." Her voice was quiet, shy and nervous. "What are you doing here?"

I didn't know if she knew Cora was here. "Just some business."

"Could that business include visiting Cora?"

 _Ah, so she does know._ "Yes. I didn't know if you knew."

"I know. I haven't seen her but she goes to school with Cole and he told me about her. I put the pieces together. What is she doing here?"

"She wanted to attend human school. Been begging me for years. I decided she was old enough to give it a go. Figured this would be the best place since I know the area and someone she can stay with."

Emma nodded. "Makes sense."

"I didn't think you would still be here honestly."

Emma shrugged. "I like it here and so does Cole."

"How is Cole?"

"Fine."

I glanced at the time. "I need to go, Cora will be at the house soon." I lowered my voice a little. "It was nice seeing you Emma."

Emma just looked away and mumbled. "Bye Galen."

I sighed and got up and walked away. My head was spinning the whole way to George's house. I had called earlier and let him know I was stopping by. He had said he would still be at work but that I could let myself in so I went inside. I looked around and heard some voices from upstairs. I went up and followed the voices to Sam's room where her and Cora were hanging out.

Cora looked over and squealed. "Daddy!" She ran over and hugged me. "I didn't know you were coming to visit."

I hugged her back. "I wanted to surprise you."

Cora pulled away and smiled at me. She looked over at Sam. "Sam, this is my dad."

Sam looked a little nervous. "Um, hello Sir."

I smiled. "You can call me Galen."

She nodded. "Galen." She looked at Cora and I could tell some silent conversation passed between them.

Cora looked at me. "Daddy, I need to talk to you about something."

I tilted my head slightly, concerned. "Alright…"

"There are Syrena here living as humans. And I've never seen them before and they've been living here for years. One is a female adult named Emma. She has blonde hair but I'm positive that she's Syrena. The other one is her son, Cole. He has blue eyes but if he really is Emma's son then he has to be Syrena. Do you know them? Are they fugitives?"

I sighed. _She knows about them, shit. What should I tell her? Maybe I should tell her the truth…_ I took a deep calming breath. "Cora, I need to talk to you in private."

Cora nodded and led me to her room, closing the door before turning to face me. "They're fugitives aren't they? Are they dangerous?"

I shook my head. "Cora, sit."

She looked puzzled but sat on her bed. "So they're not fugitives?"

I sighed and sat next to her. "No Cora, they're not fugitives."

Cora looked very confused. "Then what's wrong?"

I took a deep steadying breath. "Cora, I've never told you the story of why I left your mother and brother. Would you like to hear it?" She nodded with wide eyes. I took another breath. "Your mother is a half breed. Grew up living on the land, never knowing what she was." I looked at her. "You know her from the legends."

Cora blinked in surprise. "The half breed princess from the legends that saved us when Nalia returned is my mother?"

I nodded. "Yes, she is. After everything was back to normal we got married. I wanted her to live with me in the kingdom but the land was her true home and she can't shift so she got me to stay on land with her. We were married for 2 years before she got pregnant and we had you and your brother. We lived happily together for 7 years after you two were born. But then I started to get stressed. Living on land and doing things the way humans did things was taking a toll on me despite my trips to the sea since we lived on the beach. Your mother could tell I wanted to return home. I tried to get her to come with me but she refused completely. She told me to grab you and go. So I did. I went back to the kingdom with you and she continued to live on land with your brother. After that I was heartbroken. Even to this day I miss her and still love her and wish things could have been different." My voice was sad and heartbroken by the time I finished.

Cora had tears in her eyes. "Aww, daddy." She hugged me and wiped her eyes when she pulled away. "But...but what does this have to do with Emma and Cole?"

 _And now the final blow_. I sighed. "Cora, Emma...Emma's the half breed princess from the legends…she's your mother..."


	14. Chapter 14

Chapter 14- Cora

I blinked very slowly and stared at Dad as I processed this information. "The legends...Emma...Emma's my m-mom?..."

He slowly nodded, watching my reaction carefully. "Yes."

I blinked again, a little dazed. "So...so that means Cole...he's…"

"Your twin brother. I'm pretty sure he doesn't know what he is though. And you probably shouldn't tell him unless Emma is okay with it and thinks he can handle the information."

I slowly nodded. "Okay...I won't say anything…" I looked away for a moment before looking at him again. "I-is this why you don't like humans?"

Dad sighed. "Yes. I have a dislike for humans since your mother chose the land over me."

"I always assumed they were dead...since you never talked about them and didn't like humans and I never ran into them no matter what parts of the ocean I explored...I assumed they had been killed by humans or something…"

"An understandable assumption."

I gulped nervously. "C-can...can I meet her?...Does she know about me?..."

"She knows you're here. I ran into her on the way here. Cole had told her about you and she put the pieces together. I'm not sure about meeting her though. I don't know how she feels about you being around. If you wanted to you could try though."

I nodded. "Okay…" I hugged him. "Thank you for telling me."

He hugged me back. "You're welcome, I felt that you needed to know." Just then his phone rang and he had to pull away to answer it. "Hello?...Hmm...Yes, of course...Alright...Bye." He hung up and looked at me. "I'm sorry I can't stay longer but that was your uncle informing me that he needs me to help take care of something important. Will you be alright?"

I nodded. "I'm fine, go ahead."

"Thank you for understanding." He got up. "I promise I'll visit again soon and I'm always here for you if you need me."

"Thanks Daddy." I went downstairs with him and hugged him before he left. After he left I went upstairs to Sam's room.

Sam looked over. "Hey, where's your dad? What was all that about? Is everything okay?"

I sat on her bed with her. "He had to go, something came up. Emma and Cole aren't fugitives."

Sam looked a little surprised. "Really? Then what was the big deal?"

I fidgeted nervously. "They're not fugitives...but they are my mother and brother…"

Sam blinked and looked shocked. "Seriously?!"

I nodded. "I don't think Cole knows what he is though. He probably knows nothing about Syrena and my dad said not to bring it up to him just in case, it might be too much for him to take in and it's not my place to tell him."

"Understandable." She exhaled. "Wow…" She was pretty shocked, almost as shocked as I was. Neither of us ate much at dinner that night and we went to bed early.


	15. Chapter 15

Chapter 15- Cole

I woke up late since it was Saturday and looked at my calendar. _September 17, my 17th birthday._ I got out of bed and went to the kitchen. Mom had already left for work but had left breakfast for me. She was so upset when she found out she had to work today but I understood. I sat and started eating, glancing at the time. _It's 10, I have to meet Sam and Cora at the beach at 11._ I was hanging out with them for my birthday, first at the beach then at Sam's house later. It had been a week and a half since they had started acting a little strange around me and I still didn't know why. I finished my breakfast with a small shrug. _Oh well._ Daemon wasn't coming because his parents were forcing him to go out with them for family bonding. I went to my room and got changed into swim shorts and a T-shirt, putting a regular pair of shorts and another T-shirt in a gym bag in case my clothes got wet even though I probably wasn't going to go in the water. I finished getting ready and left the house, heading for our usual spot on the beach that we always hang out at. Sam and Cora were already there talking quietly when I got there. They were sitting on their beach towels and looked up as I approached. "Hey."

Sam smiled. "Hey, happy birthday!"

"Happy birthday."

I spread out my towel and sat down. "Thanks." I saw them exchange a glance.

Sam looked at me again. "It's Cora's birthday too."

I blinked and looked at Cora. "Really? Happy birthday."

Cora shot Sam a look before looking down, mumbling. "Thanks."

I sighed. _They're acting weird again._ I looked out at the water and suddenly got this strange feeling, a sort of longing, to go in the water. I got up. "Let's go swim around for a bit."

Sam blinked, surprised since she knows I don't really like going in the water much. "Oh, okay." Her and Cora got up. Cora jogged over to the water and Sam walked with me.

"Is it really her birthday or was it just a joke?"

"It's her birthday."

"Huh…" I was about knee deep in the water now but the feeling didn't go away. If anything it was stronger and I now also felt a strange tingling sort of sensation. I could see Cora pop out of the water a little ways ahead of us, hair wet from going under. _Go under...that might help…_ I went deeper and dove under the water. I was surprised to find that I could see perfectly clear even though the water looked murky when you looked at it above water. I swam around a bit, fascinated, when my legs started to feel weird. _What the-?_ I stretched them out and felt better as something shiny at the bottom caught my eye. I went to swim down to see what it was and realized that I couldn't move my legs and started to panic. I looked down and saw a huge fin instead of legs and screamed. _Something has me, something has me!_ I tried to move but couldn't. I looked over when I saw Cora swimming over out of the corner of my eye. "Help! Help!" I blinked as I heard myself speak clearly. _What-?_

Cora came over, looking a little sympathetic but otherwise happy. "Relax, it's alright."

I blinked again at being able to hear her clearly. _Is this a dream?..._ "H-help…"

Cora studied the fin for a moment. "Can you move it?"

"N-no...I can't move...g-get it off…" I was surprised that I wasn't in any pain despite the fact that something was eating me.

Cora tilted her head slightly. "Get it off?" She looked confused for a moment. "Oh!" She looked like she had realized something. "You don't realize it's you do you? You think something has you."

I just looked at her, very confused and scared. "C-Cora...please help…" _Surely she wouldn't let me die? I know I haven't known her long but still…_

"Relax Cole, it's okay. You're fine, nothing has you. It doesn't belong to something else, it belongs to you. Try to move it."

"W-what?...Cora stop talking nonsense, please help me…" I was practically begging at this point.

She shook her head. "I'll show you." I watched at her legs fused together and formed a fin. "See? I have one too." Her fin flicked slightly and she moved a little closer to me. "Just give it a little flick."

 _This must be a dream…_ I flicked my fin and bumped into her. I looked down at it, examining it more closely and realizing that it was actually attached to me. I reached down and touched it, blinking when I could feel it. "C-Cora...what's going on?..." _This doesn't feel like a dream...but it can't possibly be real…_

"Don't think about it too hard, it's a lot easier than you think." She moved out of the way and watched me flick my tail again. "Swim around a bit, get used to it." I only swam in short little bursts at first but then got more comfortable. Cora followed me as I swam around and stopped next to me when I stopped. "Better?"

I nodded. "Much, thank you." I looked down at my fin again. "What's going on?"

"Let's get back to land and I'll explain things." She started swimming to shore and I followed her. Her fin split back into legs and she walked onto the beach.

I poked my head out. "How do I do that?"

"Just think about it."

"That sounds too simple." I did what she said though and easily changed back. "Huh, simple." She tossed me my shorts. I looked around. "Where's Sam?"

"She went back to the house. We've been here for a while." She got our stuff together and handed me mine.

"Thanks." I took my stuff and we headed for Sam's house. "So…"

Cora sighed. "It's not something that should be discussed out in the open Cole, let's get back to the house. Sam knows so it's fine to talk about it around her."

I nodded. "Okay." _Sam knows about whatever this is? Is that why they've been acting weird? Cause they share some crazy secret?_ We walked in silence the rest of the way to Sam's house and went in. Sam was waiting for us in the living room and jumped up when she saw us.

"Cole, Cora!" She rushed over and looked at me, obviously worried. "Are you okay?"

I nodded. "I'm fine…"

Sam looked at Cora. "Have you told him anything yet?"

She shook her head. "Not yet, it's not safe to talk about it in the open, people could overhear."

Sam nodded. "Right, let's go upstairs and talk then." She went up to her room and Cora and I followed. She shut the door once we were all in and went and sat on the bed. She had a pretty big bed so we were all able to sit on it with some room to spare. We sat in a circle so we were all facing each other.

I looked at Cora. "So I'm a mermaid right? Well, merman. You're a mermaid."

Cora made a face. "Right idea, wrong term. Mermaid and merman are human terms. That's not what we are. We're called Syrena."

I nodded. "Right, Syrena. So how did I become one?"

"You can't become a Syrena, you have to be born as one."

I was slightly confused by this. "So, like, there's a percentage of people that are born as Syrena or something?"

Cora shook her head. "It's hereditary Cole."

I blinked. "But my Mom isn't a Syrena. Does that mean my father was one? Is that why he left?"

"If your father was but your mother isn't than you'd be a half breed. Half human, half Syrena with only some Syrena traits not including being able to change." She sighed as I gave her a confused look. "Cole, Emma is Syrena."


	16. Chapter 16

Chapter 16- Emma

I was sitting on the beach with my feet in the water. Cole was still with his friends for his birthday since he wasn't expecting me to be home until later but I got off early. I had been trying to avoid the beach since running into Galen but I couldn't help it. The ocean was calling to me, drawing me to it and making my body ache for it. Putting just my feet in wasn't enough and I was tempted to go in further but I didn't dare. I sighed as my thoughts wandered to Galen. I thought I could sense him somewhere far in the distance but I couldn't tell for sure. _I'm probably just imagining it._ I sighed again and laid down and closed my eyes, keeping my feet in the water. The pulse started getting stronger so I withdrew my feet from the water but otherwise didn't move. A moment later I heard someone come out of the water and opened my eyes, looking up.

"Hello Emma." _Galen, of course._ He sat next to me but not too close.

"Galen. What are you doing here?"

He shrugged. "Was just going for a swim and decided to stop by to wish Cora a happy birthday."

"So why are you here sitting on the beach when you should be heading to George's house then?"

He shrugged again. "Figured I would stop and chat for a moment."

"You should go." _I don't want to go._

He frowned. "Fine." He got up. "Bye Emma." He seemed sad, like he wanted to stay as much as I wanted him to stay. He started walking away.

I got up, I couldn't help myself. "Galen!"

He paused and turned. "Yes Emma?"

I didn't know what to do. I was frozen in place, torn, wanting to go to him but afraid to. "I...I…" I didn't even know what to say.

He walked back over to me, standing in front of me. "You what?"

 _It would be so easy for me to just kiss him right now._ I shook my head and took a step back. "Nothing."

He stepped closer. "It's not nothing Emma, I can tell. What is it?"

I gave him a look that said to drop it and took another step back. "I said nothing Galen. Go." I was about ankle deep in the water.

He took another step towards me and I felt a jolt as he stepped into the water. "Emma…" His tone was longing. "Do you really want me to go?"

"I…" I couldn't speak. He was closer now. So close we were almost touching. I couldn't resist much longer.

He slowly and hesitantly reached out and brushed his fingertips against my arm. He spoke quietly. "I miss you…"

That was all it took for me to give in and I threw my arms around his neck. "I miss you too…"

He wrapped his arms around me and held me close. "Oh Emma…" He went to kiss me.

I pulled away. "Galen...don't...this doesn't change anything. Things just don't work between us…" I stepped away from him. "You should go."

He looked hurt. Really hurt. "O-okay…" He hesitated for a moment before turning and quickly leaving. I started crying the moment he was out of sight.


	17. Chapter 17

Chapter 17- Cora

Cole seemed to be finally calming down. I had told him about sensing Emma and had convinced him that she was Syrena. He was in shock at first but now he was mainly just upset that she kept it from him. "She probably had a reason for it Cole."

He sighed. "I know. So my father is Syrena too right?" I nodded. "Is that why he left?"

I bit my lip. This was a tricky subject. I had to be careful not to reveal too much. "I don't know, there might have been other reasons." He just sighed again. Just then I heard someone open and close the door downstairs. I looked at Sam. "Is your dad home already?"

Sam shook her head. "No way."

I frowned. "I'll be right back." I got up and went down the stairs just as my dad started coming up the stairs. "Daddy!" I ran down the stairs and hugged him.

He hugged me back. "Hey, happy birthday."

I smiled. "Thanks Daddy." I pulled away and looked at him, smile fading. "We have a bit of a problem."

He frowned. "What is it?"

"Cole shifted today. I had to tell him what he is."

He sighed. "Of course. So I'm assuming he knows that you're Syrena too?" I nodded. "Anything else?"

"I told him that Emma is a half breed and that his father is Syrena but nothing more."

He sighed again. "This is great, just great."

I pouted. "I'm sorry Daddy."

He shook his head. "You didn't do anything wrong Cora. It's not your fault that he happened to shift. You did good." I smiled. He raked his fingers through his hair nervously. "We should tell him the rest...at this point he needs and deserves to know…"

I bit my lip and nodded. "Come on, he's in Sam's room." I headed up the stairs.

"Bring him to your room." I nodded and went to Sam's room while my dad went to mine.

Sam looked up as I entered. "Everything okay? Who was it?"

"My dad." I looked at Cole. "My dad wants to talk to you."

Cole blinked. "Um, okay." He got up. "Your dad is Syrena right?" I nodded and led him to my room, shutting the door behind us.

My dad was sitting on the bed. "Hello Cole. I'm Galen, Cora's father."

Cole looked nervous. "Um, hello."

My dad patted the bed. "It's alright, come sit, I just want to talk." Cole nodded and went and sat on the bed. My dad looked at me. "Cora, I think it would be best if it was just the two of us."

I nodded understandingly. "Alright Daddy." I gave Cole a reassuring look before leaving my room and going back to Sam's.


	18. Chapter 18

Chapter 18- Cole

I watched Cora leave with a feeling of despair. _I'm stuck in a room with an adult male Syrena that I've never met before. Great. Just great._ I looked at Galen nervously. "What is it you want to talk about?"

"Well first of all, happy birthday."

I blinked, surprised that he knew it was my birthday. "Um, thanks. How did you know?"

"That will come later. Cora told me you shifted for the first time today." I just nodded. "And you had no idea what you are prior to this?" I shook my head. He nodded like he was just confirming facts. He sighed and looked a little nervous. "I honestly don't really know how to put this Cole. Cora told you that your mom is a half breed?" I nodded again. "Do you know anything about your father other than that he's Syrena?"

I shook my head. "He left us when I was seven with my twin sister and we haven't heard from him since." I blinked, just now remembering my twin sister. "Is my sister Syrena too then?"

He nodded. "Yes, your sister is Syrena. But unlike you, she was raised in the sea from that point on and didn't know that her brother and mother lived on land."

"Do you know her? Could I meet her?" I've always wanted to meet my twin sister, always wondered what she's like. Her being Syrena didn't change that.

"Yes I know her. And you've already unknowingly met her."

I was confused by this. _How could I have met her? I would have remembered meeting a Syrena. Unless she was in human form which in that case it could be anyone. But why would she be on land? I don't understand…_ "I'm afraid I don't understand what you mean."

Galen sighed. "Would you like to know how your father met your mother and why he left?" I nodded. Galen took a deep breath, seemingly preparing himself. "Your mother didn't know that she was a half breed when she met your father. Your father showed her what she is and taught her things about Syrena. There are two kingdoms, Poseidon and Triton. Your father was a Triton prince. Your mother is a Poseidon princess. There was turmoil between the kingdoms and your mother ended it and brought them back together, saving both kingdoms. They went through many other things together before finally getting married and settling down, having children years later. Your father had to give up the kingdom in order to be with your mother. Everything was fine for several years but your father was becoming miserable on the land. He continuously tried to convince your mother to come live in the sea but she refused since she couldn't shift. Eventually your father couldn't take it anymore. He got into a fight with your mother and she told him to leave and take your sister with him so he did." By the time he finished he was very forlorn.

I was stunned by all of this information and took a minute to process it all. "How do you know all of this is true?"

"Because I was there Cole." He lifted his shirt, revealing a tattoo of a trident on his stomach. "This is the mark of a Triton royal, marking the Triton princes and princesses."

I blinked and lifted my shirt, looking at my own mark and also remembering that I saw it on Cora earlier. "You mean…?" _He's my father? But then Cora…_

Galen sighed. "Cole, I'm your father. Cora is your sister."

I blinked very slowly and looked at him. "You...you left us…"

"Only because she told me to Cole. I love you and your mother very much and would never have left of my own accord no matter how miserable I was. I didn't want to leave."

I slowly nodded. "I...I understand. I don't hold it against you anymore." I sighed. "I used to hate you. I hated you for leaving us and taking my sister from me. But I understand."

He sighed in relief. "Thank you Cole."

I nodded. "Is that all?"

He nodded. "Yes." He stood and I stood with him. He opened the door and stepped aside for me to get through. I stepped out and saw Cora coming out of Sam's room.

Cora saw me and came over somewhat hesitantly. "Hey…"

I couldn't help but hug her. "Hey." She was shocked but hugged me back. I pulled away after a moment. "I think we should go to my house and talk to Mom."

She nodded. "So he told you everything?" I nodded. "You're handling this really well."

I chuckled. "I partially wondering if this is a dream and when I'm going to wake up. But I've always wondered about my lost family and the strange little things that I never put together until now that prove I'm Syrena. By the way, can Syrena talk to fish? Cause I swear I talked to fish once. Is that normal?"

Galen came up behind me. "Only for the princes and princesses of Poseidon. It's the gift of Poseidon. You, Cora, and Emma can do it since you're Poseidon royals. I can't since I'm of Tridon." He looked at Cora. "Why don't you let Sam know we're leaving?"

She nodded and went to Sam's room, coming back a moment later. "Alright, let's go." She led the way downstairs and I led the way to my house.

When we got there I looked at them. "Let me go in first." They both nodded and I went in. "Mom, I'm home!" I didn't hear a response. "Mom?" I looked around the house but didn't see her. Her stuff was here though so she wasn't still at work. I went back outside. "She's not home."

Cora frowned. "Still at work maybe?"

I shook my head. "Her stuff is here."

Galen sighed. "She's probably at the beach. You two go inside, I'll get her."

Cora and I nodded and went inside as Galen jogged towards the beach.


	19. Chapter 19

Chapter 19- Galen

I jogged to the beach and looked around but I didn't see Emma anywhere. _Where is she? She has to be around here somewhere._ I stepped into the water to see if I could sense her and immediately felt her pulse. _She's close but I don't see her._ I focused more on where the pulse was coming from and was surprised. _She's in the water. What is she doing in the water?_ I looked out at the water but still couldn't see her. _Is she under? I hope she's okay…_ I was getting a little worried at this point. I walked further into the water and went under once I was deep enough, shifting. I could feel her pulse slowly getting stronger and looked around, seeing Emma swimming towards me. "Emma!" I started swimming towards her. "I was getting worried. We couldn't find you-" I stopped, realizing something. "Emma...you…"

She stopped in front of me, smiling. "Hey Galen."

I blinked. "You…" I was stunned.

She looked down shyly, flicking her tail. "Yeah, I shifted."

"H-how?"

She bit her lip. "I'm not really sure. The ocean was calling to me. I couldn't resist so I went in but it didn't go away so I went deeper and deeper and at one point my legs started to ache so I stretched them and-" She broke off and shrugged. "And this happened."

"That's amazing." She nodded. "You look beautiful."

She blushed slightly. "Thank you…" She bit her lip.

I flicked my tail, moving closer to her. "Emma."

She looked at me. "Yes Galen?"

 _I want to kiss you…_ I cleared my throat and moved back. "We should get to your house. Cora and Cole are waiting."

She frowned slightly. "Why are they both there?"

"Cole shifted today. He needed to know."

She blinked. "He shifted?" I nodded. "And you told him everything, didn't you?" I nodded again. She sighed. "So they both know everything now." She sighed again. "Alright, let's go." She led the way to the shore but stopped once it started to get too shallow to swim and looked at me. "How do I change back?"

"Just think about it." In a minute she shifted and I did too and followed her onto the beach. She led the way back to her house and stopped outside the door, checking the mail. She looked at something and sighed. "What is it?"

She shook her head. "Nothing. Come on." She opened the door and went inside and I followed, shutting the door behind me. Cole and Cora were sitting on the couch in the living room, talking quietly. I briefly looked around and noticed that other than the couch the house was relatively bare. They stopped talking and got up when they noticed us. When they were standing side by side like this it was so obvious that they were related. Cole was looking right at Emma and Cora was looking down nervously.

Cole was the first one to break the silence. "Why did you never tell me? You fed me lies my entire life about my family and who I am."

Emma sighed. "Cole, I'm sorry. Very sorry. I thought it was what was best for you. You should know by now that I always try to do what's best for you. I didn't know how to tell you. And...and…" She was struggling for words now.

"And what Mom?"

A tear fell down her face. "I was afraid you would leave me…"

Cole immediately softened and went over to her. "Mom, I would never leave you."

Emma started actually crying and hugged him tightly. "I'm sorry…"

He held her, hugging her back. "It's okay, let's just let it go."

She nodded and pulled away, wiping her tears. "Okay…"

Cole bent down and picked up the piece of mail she had dropped and looked at it for a moment before looking at her. "This just came in today?" Emma nodded and he sighed. "Damn. They won't give you any more time?"

Emma shook her head. "No, I've tried everything but they won't listen anymore. All they care about it their money." She sounded defeated.

I was confused at this point and looked at Emma. "What is it?" She didn't answer at first so I went over to her and asked again. "Emma, what is it?"

She sighed and looked down. "It's a final notice. We have to be out of the house by tomorrow afternoon."

I noticed Cora gasp and come over but didn't take my eyes off of Emma. "Have you found a place to stay?" She bit her lip and shook her head. "So where were you going to go?"

She gave a small shrug. "I was going to figure something out. I thought we had longer to find a place. This is very sudden."

 _I have to find them a place...there must be something I can do…_ "I have some stuff to do. Stay here with Cora and Cole and I'll be back with dinner in two hours." She looked slightly confused but nodded. I said bye to Cora and Cole and left to put my plan into action.


	20. Chapter 20

Chapter 20- Emma

 _Where's Galen? It's been two and a half hours since he left. I hope he's okay. I wonder where he went._ I had spent the past two and a half hours doing some bonding with Cora and clearing things up with Cole. We were actually starting to feel like a family again. _If only Galen was here._ Cole and I were finished packing but I still didn't know where to go. _If I don't figure something out we'll be homeless. I can't let that happen to Cole. I have to figure something out…_ My thought was cut off by the sound of the door opening. Galen came in with take out from a diner. I started to get up but he motioned for me to stay so I sat back down. He sat on the floor in front of the couch and got out the food, handing each of us something. Cora and Cole immediately started eating and I started taking small bites. I was honestly too nervous and stressed and scared to eat but I nibbled on my food, knowing I should eat something.

"I'm sorry I was gone longer than I said I would be." I looked at Galen and he smiled. "There were a lot of things to take care of and it took a little longer than I expected."

I nodded. "It's fine." I looked away and pushed my food around the tray. "Where did you go?" I tried to sound somewhat uninterested but I was really curious as to what he had been doing.

"Let's just say you don't have to worry about where you're going to go anymore."

I blinked and looked at him. "What?"

He smiled. "I got you a place. It will be ready by morning and a moving van will be here in the morning as well."

I blinked again, completely shocked. "You...you got me a place?"

He nodded and bit his lip. "Under one condition…"

"And what would that be?"

He took a breath. "That you let Cora and I stay with you."

I slowly nodded. "Okay…" He smiled and started eating. Once we were all done eating Galen took Cora back to George's house so she could pack and be able to go to school tomorrow. It was getting late so I told Cole he should go to bed.

"Don't you need me to stay home to help with the move?"

I shook my head. "Galen will take care of it."

He nodded and headed to bed. He paused and looked at me. "You still love him don't you?"

I sighed. "Go to bed Cole." He sighed and went to bed. I went and sat on the couch, wondering if Galen was coming back. _Well it's only 9, I guess I'll give him until 10 or so._ No more than 10 minutes later there was a light knock at the door so I got up and opened it.

Galen was standing outside. "Sorry, I didn't know if you were asleep and if I could just walk in or not."

"It's fine, come in." I closed the door and went back to the livingroom, sitting on the couch.

Galen followed and sat next to me but not too close. "You look tired, you should go to bed."

I was silent for a moment before speaking. "Why are you doing this Galen?"

He blinked. "What do you mean?"

I sighed. "This, everything. Being here and talking to me and getting me a place and wanting to live with me and-" I realized I was ranting and paused for a moment to calm down. "And acting like you still care about me, like you want to be with me, like things will work out between us."

Galen reached for me but I moved away. He sighed, hurt. "I do still care about you and want to be with you, I never wanted to leave in the first place. I think about you every day. I've missed you so much and almost came back several times but I didn't think you wanted anything to do with me. And you can shift now, things will be better."

I shook my head. "All because I can shift doesn't mean that things will be any different. I still want to live on land."

"And that's fine. But things will be better. You'll be able to understand my longing for the sea. You'll have that longing too and we can go swimming together. Our only problem was a lack of understanding. We're meant to be together Emma. Please, can't we give this another shot?"

I looked at him and saw the longing in his eyes, the same longing I've been feeling. Maybe it was time for me to stop denying that I still have feelings and that I want to be with him. I slowly nodded. "Okay, we can try."

He smiled. "Really?" I nodded and he moved closer so we were touching. This time I let him and didn't moved away when he reached for me. He hugged me and hugging turned into holding and holding somehow turned into us cuddling and next thing I knew we were laying on the couch kissing. After a while we stopped and he just held me until I fell asleep, at peace in his arms.


	21. Chapter 21

Chapter 21- Galen

I got up quietly in the morning, careful not to disturb Emma, and got Cole up for school. The moving van arrived just as Cole left and I started getting the stuff into the van. About halfway through that process Emma woke up and tried insisting on helping. "It's fine Emma, I got it. I'm almost done anyways. Just relax."

"Fine, if you say so." She yawned. "Where are we going anyways?"

I finished putting the stuff in the van and looked at her with a smile. "You'll see, it's a surprise."

She smiled. "You know I love surprises." I motioned for her to get in the van and she did. I got in the driver seat and started driving to our destination. Emma was looking around, clearly trying to figure out where we're going. "Are we almost there yet?"

I chuckled. "Yes, almost." I drove a moment longer before pulling over and looking at her.

"Are we here?" She looked at the houses around us. "So which one is it?"

"Close your eyes." She looked at me with her head tilted questioningly. "We're not there yet. Five more minutes. But you have to close your eyes." She huffed but closed her eyes. I started driving again and kept glancing at her to make sure she wasn't peeking. I stopped out front of the house and turned the van off. _I hope she likes it._ "Open your eyes Emma."

I heard a small gasp as she opened her eyes. "Oh Galen, I can't believe it."

"Do...do you like it?"

"I love it. But how did you-?"

I cut her off. "Don't worry about the how. Everything's taken care of. It's ours again." I got out of the van and she followed me. "Come on, let's get the stuff in the house." She nodded and we unloaded the contents of the van into our old home.


	22. Chapter 22

Chapter 22- Cole

I was reluctant to go to school but Galen seemed like a good guy and I trusted him. I went to my first period class and sat down. I bent over and started getting my stuff out so I was looking down when I heard someone clear their throat in front of me, clearly trying to get my attention. I sat up and looked up, surprised to see a girl I didn't recognize. "Yes?"

The girl looked down shyly. "Um, is it alright if I sit here or is it taken?" She gestured to an empty seat next to me.

"It's an empty seat, no one sits there and it's the only seat left in the room so it's pretty much the only place for you to sit." She nodded and silently took the seat next to me. I watched her as she sat and got her things out, really taking a good look at her now. She had short black hair that wasn't really short but still pretty short. I didn't get a really good look at her eyes but I think I caught a flash of blue. She was really thin and about a head shorter than me. _Wow, she's really pretty, surely I would remember seeing her before, she must me new._ She caught me looking so I politely looked away. "So, are you new?" She nodded. "What's your name?"

"Amber." Her voice was velvety soft and quiet, very shy.

"I'm Cole." She nodded and then paid attention to the teacher as the class started. I kept glancing over at her all during class but she never looked my way. When the period ended I got my stuff and turned to her to say something but she was already up and walking out the door. _Damn, she's fast. I hope I run into her again later._ The next class was uneventful and boring then I went to lunch with Sam, Daemon, and Cora. So much had happened since I saw Sam and even more so with Daemon. Daemon didn't even know about the Syrena thing. _I wonder how much Cora has told Sam._ I took my usual seat with them and we started chatting, mostly Daemon asking how my birthday was and Cora giving me subtle looks to not give too much away. I was in the middle of telling Daemon that my father was back in my life, without going too much into it that is, when I saw Amber standing off to the side, looking a little lost. I got up. "I'll be right back." I went over to Amber. "Hey."

She jumped and looked at me. "H-hi."

"Do you need somewhere to sit?" She gave a small shrug. "You can sit with me and my friends if you don't have somewhere to sit and someone to sit with." She just looked at me for a moment before slowly nodding. I smiled and led her over to the table, introducing her to everyone as she sat next to me. After introducing everyone, I went back to telling Daemon about my Dad. Once I was done I turned my attention to Amber. "So, where did you move from?"

She didn't look at me. "Um, Arizona."

I started asking her about Arizona but she didn't seem to know much about it which didn't make sense if she had just lived there. "How do you not know?" She just shrugged, still not making eye contact with me or with anyone for that matter. I looked at Cora and we had one of those strange mind reading twin moments. Me: _This doesn't make any sense to me. You?_ Cora: _I think she's lying._ Me: _Why would she lie about that though?_ Cora: _No clue but she's definitely lying. There's something off about her. I think she might be Syrena._ Me: _What?! No way!_ Cora just shrugged and that was the end of that. No one noticed our little exchange since it happened in the course of a few seconds. I turned my attention back to Amber and was about to say something when the bell rang. I looked away from her to grab my stuff and when I looked back to where she was she was gone. The rest of the school day went by without me seeing her again but with me unable to get her out of my head.


End file.
